Removing scratches from a TS top

[Dewayne Reding]

I really knocked the new right out of my Craftsman 22124 tablesaw top. While cutting an MDF lamination, I raked some slightly exposed deck screw heads across the top about ten times before I noticed what I was doing. They aren't really hurting anything, but they are plenty deep and I would like to clean them up a bit. Any thoughts on how to remove them without putting a bunch of dips in my top.

[Al Willits]

If they're deep you'll not remove them with out the dips, might just use some fine sandpaper and a wood block to take out the high spots and leave it.
Another thought might be to JB Weld them and sand smooth?
Or maybe epoxy to fill the scratches?

Kinda depends on how deep they are.

Al

[Jim Becker]

ROS to the rescue. You really cannot "remove" the scratches, but it's important to remove any raised metal so it doesn't damage wood sliding across it. Superficial scratching is going to happen over time, even from just the wood sliding across the cast iron, so remember...it's a tool, not a dining room table. ;) BTW, once you use the ROS to smooth things out, be sure to re-apply your wax to protect from rust and staining.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

ROS to the rescue


Yah, what Jim said. Unless you are severely obsessive compulsibe about using a ROS and you are going to stand there for an hour sanding, there is simply no way you can hurt the table top.
Use a grit of about 320 or finer. Don't try to get the scratch out just remove any bit of steel that's making it feel jagged.

[Dewayne Reding]

it's a tool, not a dining room table. ;) ................

Yes Jim, I'll try to remember that. :) I would like to point out that it cost a lot more $$$ than my dining room table though. I sure hated trashing it already. Several of the scratches could probably mark up wood, so I guess I better take the sander to them.

[Kyle Kraft]

For machined steel tables, nothing beats an oilstone for making lumpy surfaces flat. It wil even reveal/remove high spots caused by a dent, etc. I use a round stone with fine grit on one side and coarse on the other....looks like a huge hockey puck with a finger groove around the O.D.

[glenn bradley]

You won't get them out if they're deep but you can remove any ridges. I use 400 grit 3X on my zip code with a rubber flat sanding block. Once any ridges are gone I use 0000 steel wool with a little oil or WD-40 and move with the grain (front to back) till things look as good as they are gonna get. Clean it all up with some mineral spirits or whatever and wax, wax, wax.

[Ted Miller]

I never use steel wool for anything anymore, the tiny pieces of metal fall off then rust very fast, so I am the scotch brite and brasso kind of guy and then teflon wax. I had some scratches in an older TS and I used my dremmel just to know off the high edge of the gouge then filled it with wax, looked like the owner had scraped nails across the top with a lot of pressure...

[Doug Shepard]

ROS to the rescue....

In my case ROS was the problem. About 6 months after getting my PM66 I set the ROS down on the TS top while plugging it into an extension cord. Somehow the ROS switch had gotten bumped into the on position. So as soon as I plugged it in, it took off and left a big skid mark across my shiny new top:eek: . Ouch - cant believe I was that stoooopid. Finer grit discs got most of it polished out eventually.

[Jason Morgan]

Mine was screws in malamine particle board building closet units though. I just sanded out with 400grit wet/dry paper and applies paste wax. The scratches are visible, but have no practicle affect other than to remind me that when Im using the TS as a bench, be sure you dont run any screws across it. :D

[Tim Kennedy-NH]

In the same vein of "knocking the new off"...

About a month after I brought home my new 22124, I made the mistake of leaving the fence where it was from my last cut, until the following weekend. In July. In New Hampshire. In the basement.

When I returned to it, and moved the fence I was horrified to find RUST! under the fence. The sides of the fence had trapped enough moisture underneath them to rust the top right through the wax I had on it (apparently not enough wax!).

Fortunately there wasn't much pitting, and I was able to remove the rust. I now have an ugly brownish/yellowish tint to the top to remind me to put the fence over the MDF extension table every time I finish for the day. Oh, and LOTS of regular waxing during the summer.

[Dewayne Reding]

Thanks for all the advice. I have a nice complement of auto body sanders, so I should be able to get it smooth again. I hear you on the rust Tim. Iowa is humid or damp most of the year. It is a full time job keeping anything with bare metal looking nice. My Dewalt jobsite saw has a painted top. It gets screwed up from use, but wood really does slide across it nicely. Ten years from now I think I'll just put away the wax and lay some paint on everything.